In this section

18 MOTCOMBE (8425)

(O.S. 6 ins., ST 82, all parts).

The parish, with an area of 5,450 acres, comprises
much of the former Royal Forest of Gillingham and
was part of Gillingham parish until 1883. Near the
E. border the Upper Greensand escarpment rises to more
than 700 ft. above sea-level; the rest of the parish lies
on Gault and Kimmeridge Clay at altitudes between
250 ft. and 500 ft. The land is drained by small streams
flowing W. to the R. Lodden, on the N. and W.
boundaries of the parish. The village stands at the
confluence of four such streams. Although not named
in Domesday the settlement may be one of the several
Gillinghams there recorded (see p. 27). Many of the
outlying hamlets and farms originated as secondary
settlements within the Royal Forest; Fernbrook, Frog
Lane, Kingsettle and Woodsend farms were all in
existence by the end of the 13th century (Fägersten 29).
On an early 17th-century map, now lost, but known
through a 19th-century copy (Plate 56) in D.C.M.,
secondary settlements such as these are recognisable by
their small fields and irregular boundaries; many of
them still exist today. Larger fields with more nearly
rectilinear boundaries in the N. and N.W. of the parish
result from enclosure after the disafforestation of the
Royal Forest in 1624; Wolfridge Farm (4) is of this
period. In the 19th century under the ownership of
the Marquess of Westminster the village was extensively
rebuilt and few earlier dwellings survive. The most
important Monument in the parish (18) is the earthwork remains of a Royal Hunting Lodge, now reduced
to banks and ditches. North End Farm (3), 'Easthaies'
on the 17th-century map, has an interesting early
17th-century farmhouse.

Ecclesiastical

(1) The Parish Church of St. Mary was wholly
rebuilt in 1846, in the 'Perpendicular' style (Builder, IV
(1846), 393) to designs by G. Alexander; it has ashlar
walls and tile-covered roofs. Drawings by J. C. Buckler
of the former church are in the B.M. (Add. MS., 36361,
152–5). Fittings from the former church are incorporated in the 19th-century building.

The Church, Plan

Fittings—Chest: of oak, with plank sides, top and bottom
bound with four wrought-iron straps with hinges, staples and
hasps for four padlocks, and with two horizontal straps forming
end-handles, the latter also with hinged hasps attached (one
broken); c. 1500. Churchyard Cross: S. of porch, with
chamfered square base-block on two steps, and lower part of
octagonal shaft with run-out stops, 15th century. Communion
Table: of oak, with turned legs with leaf enrichment, and
fluted rails, late 17th century; top and feet restored and legs
lengthened. Font: with round bowl, moulded underneath,
cylindrical stem, and round base with ovolo mouldings, 13th
century; font-cover, of oak, with circular board, moulded
radial battens and turned central finial, 17th century. Glass:
in E. window of chancel, grisaille with coloured borders, 1846.
Hatchment: with arms of Whitaker impaling White of Poole,
1816. Image: see Niche.

Secular

(2) School (84872524), a few paces W. of (1), is single
storeyed and has ashlar walls and tiled roofs (Plate 28); a
shield over the main doorway bears the date 1839. The windows, generally, are of stone with chamfered surrounds and
mullions. A window in the form of a small oriel projects
in the gable of the S. wing.

(3) North End Farm (84562751), house (Plate 53),
of two storeys with attics, has walls of ashlar and of
squared rubble, and stone-slated roofs; it is of early
17th-century origin and is shown on a map of 1624
(Plate 56) with the name 'Easthaies'. The windows,
generally, have square-headed lights with recessed and
hollow-chamfered surrounds and mullions; in the
lower storey they are capped by weathered and ovolo-moulded string-courses; in the upper storey and in the
attics they have weathered and hollow-chamfered
labels. The chimneystacks are of ashlar, with moulded
capping.

Motcom, North End Farm House

The W. front, of ashlar, is symmetrical and of four bays,
with chamfered plinths and with a central doorway enclosed
in a one-storeyed porch. The porch has an outer archway with a
moulded four-centred head, a moulded square outer head,
sunk spandrels, continuous jambs and shaped stops. Above
the porch arch is an ovolo-moulded, hollow-chamfered and
weathered string-course, and over this is a gable with a wavemoulded coping and a square finial. Within the porch, the
main doorway is round-headed, with a moulded archivolt,
square impost blocks, and moulded jambs; one impost bears
a scratched inscription of 1644. On either side of the porch,
the bays of three-light casement windows are paired beneath
gables with single three-light attic windows, plain copings and
square apex finials. The string-course of the porch continues
at a slightly lower level throughout the W. front.

The S. end of the house is of ashlar; it has a gable similar
to those of the W. front; the only window, in the gable,
is of three lights as described. Symmetrically disposed above
the gable are two ashlar chimneystacks. The moulded string-course of the W. front continues across the end wall, approximately at first-floor level. The E. front, of rubble, has three-light casement windows as described; the first-floor string-course lacks an ovolo moulding and has much the same profile
as the labels of the upper windows. One bay of the E. front
comprises a projecting stair tower with two-light windows at
two mezzanine levels, and with a gable with a finial as before;
adjacent on the S. is an ashlar chimney-stack, rebuilt near the
top in brickwork. Reset in the N. side of the stair tower is a
small quatrefoil loop, evidently part of the tracery of a 14th-century window. The N. end wall resembles that on the S.,
having a gable flanked by two chimneystacks, but the lower
storeys are masked by an outbuilding, probably of the 19th
century.

Inside, the parlour has an open fireplace with a moulded,
square-headed surround; the walls have oak panelling with a
moulded cornice. In the hall the fireplace has been blocked up
and a small modern grate has been substituted. The former
open fireplace in the kitchen has been partly blocked, and
altered. The steps of the newel staircase are of elm.

(4) Wolfridge Farm (83372767), house, of two storeys,
with walls of squared rubble and with tiled roofs, is of the 17th
century, but later than the map of c. 1624 (Plate 56); the house
has been much altered in recent times, and in part rebuilt.
The E. and W. fronts retain stone windows of two and three
lights with chamfered surrounds; the former stone mullions
have been replaced by woodwork. Projecting from the W.
front is a brick chimney-stack with weathered offsets, perhaps
an 18th-century addition. The chimney-stack on the S. gable
is of ashlar.

(5) Barn House (85022530), single-storeyed with attics,
has rubble walls and thatched roofs; it is of the late 17th or
early 18th century and has an L-shaped plan. Inside, there are
deeply chamfered ceiling beams with splayed stops, and open
fireplaces, now blocked. Adjacent on the S. is a small 18th-century Bakehouse, of two storeys, with rubble walls and tiled
roofs.

(6) Cottage (83482332), on Sherborne Causeway near the
S. boundary of the parish, is two-storeyed and has rubble
walls and a thatched roof. It is of the late 17th century and has
a class-S plan. The partition between the ground-floor rooms
is of plank-and-muntin construction with roughly chamfered
muntins. The date 1691 is incised in plaster over the large open
fireplace of the E. room.

(7) Duncliffe Farm (83702317), house, 300 yds. E. of the
foregoing, is of two storeys with attics and has walls of brick
and rubble, in part rendered; the roofs are partly tiled and
partly thatched. The house dates from c. 1700.

(8) House (84632644), originally single-storeyed but now
heightened, has brick walls with stone quoins, and thatched
roofs; it dates from c. 1700. The W. front is symmetrical and
of three bays; reset in it at the level of the first floor is a fragment of 15th-century carved stonework representing an angel
bearing a shield; it probably was a vaulting-boss. Inside,
one room has a ceiling beam with deep chamfers.

(9) Thane's Farm (86432471), house, is two-storeyed and
has walls of coursed rubble, and tiled roofs; it is of the late
18th century, with 19th-century additions on the N. and S.
at the W. end of the original range. The S. front of the range
has a central doorway flanked by plain casement windows;
above the doorway is an elliptical window with a moulded
architrave and keystones; in the upper storey are three casement windows. The N. front of the range has a stone window
of four square-headed lights with moulded jambs and mullions.
Inside, the original range has chamfered ceiling beams.

(10) Bridewell (84662804), house, single-storeyed with
attics, with walls partly of rubble and partly timber-framed and
with thatched roofs, is of the late 18th century.

(11) Manor Farm (84192468), house, is two-storeyed with
ashlar walls and slated roofs and was built in 1836. The N.
front is of three bays, that in the centre having a projecting
two-storeyed porch, those on each side having in each storey
sashed windows with moulded labels. The S. front has stonemullioned windows with wooden sashes.

(12) Fernbrook Farm (83672406), house, is two-storeyed
and has walls of brickwork with ashlar dressings, and tiled roofs;
it was rebuilt in the 'Tudor' style in 1848.

(13) Cottages (85152513), range of four, known as The
Old Workhouse, have walls of ashlar and rubble, stonemullioned windows and stone-slated roofs; they are of the
late 17th or early 18th century.

Monuments (14–19)

Unless otherwise described the following monuments
are of the second half of the 18th century and of two
storeys; the walls are of rubble and the roofs are
thatched.

(14) Cottages (84982525–85002528), three, about 100 yds.
E. of the church, are approximately uniform, although separated
one from another (Plate 29). In each, the S.E. front is of two
bays with a central doorway. The front walls are of red brickwork patterned with blue headers; the end walls are of rubble,
the stonework extending into the front walls in the form of
rough quoins.

(15) Red House Farm (84652620), house, has a symmetrical
E. front of three bays, with sashed windows with segmental
brick heads and rubble keystones. The roofs are tiled, with
stone-slate verges. There are modern extensions on the N. and
S. Inside, one room has an open fireplace and bread-oven,
now blocked.

(16) White House Farm (84332409), house, has a symmetrical
N. front of three bays with a central doorway, and casement
windows in both storeys.

(17) Lower Duncliffe Farm (82782352), house, has a slated
roof. The N. front is of rubble; the S. elevation is partly of
brick, with a rubble plinth.

(18) Kingsettle Farm (86182569), house, with ashlar walls
and a stone-slated roof, is now deserted and ruinous.

(19) Cottages, two adjacent (83332334), have been combined
as one dwelling. That on the E. has a symmetrical three-bay
N. front, with a central doorway, and casement windows with
segmental brick heads and rubble keystones. That on the W.
is of two bays and has a N. front of squared rubble.

The following small houses and cottages are of the late 18th
or first half of the 19th century. Unless otherwise described
they are two-storeyed, have rubble walls and are roofed with
thatch or tiles: Cottage (84972526), with an ashlar-faced E.
front; Post Office (85072523), comprising a range of three
cottages, now combined; Cottages (85292508), pair, dated 1842,
with two-light mullioned windows, and doorways with
moulded four-centred heads and continuous jambs; Cottage
(85462499); Cottages (85022544), range of three, of one storey
with attics, restored and heightened in brickwork; Cottage
(84812502), of one storey with attics, with a rendered N. front;
Cottage (85042588); Cottage (85062595), with a S. front of two
bays with a central doorway; Cottage (85152591); Cottage
(84522740); Cottage (83222338); Cottage (83352333); Cottage (83772316); Bittles Green Farm (85672487), house;
Larkinglass Farm (83762767), house, with a three-bay E. front
incorporating a carved stone head, perhaps a mediaeval corbel;
House (83962309), with a symmetrical ashlar front of three
bays, probably advertised as new-built in Salisbury Journal,
26 Dec. 1814; Woodwater Farm (82152723), house, now derelict.

Mediaeval and Later Earthworks

Moat and Banks

(20) Moat and Banks (818263), known as King's
Court Palace, occupy low-lying ground on the western
boundary of the parish, at the confluence of the R.
Lodden and a small westward-flowing stream, the Fern.
The earthworks are the remains of a fortified royal
hunting lodge, begun in 1199 and occupied by King
John in 1204; the ditch and bank probably date from
c. 1209–11. Extensive alterations were made in 1249–
1250, when the original chapel was rebuilt, a second
chapel was provided, and a new chamber measuring
40 ft. by 22 ft. was made. Buildings ordered by King
Henry III in 1252 and finished in 1255 included a
kitchen, an almonry and a chamber. Repairs were
executed in 1260 and works of that date included a
gateway and a hedge around the courtyard; in 1269–70
the hedge was replaced by oak palings. Further repairs
are recorded up to 1354. In 1369 King Edward III
ordered the demolition of buildings and the sale of the
materials. (History of the King's Works, II, 944–6.)

The remains have been damaged by a modern track and by
drainage ditches and small quarries, but otherwise they are well
preserved; they comprise a rectangular area, 300 ft. by 170
ft., bounded by a bank some 50 ft. wide and 4 ft. high, with
scarps and platforms cut into it on the S. and S.E. Outside
the bank is a ditch, up to 60 ft. wide and 5 ft. deep, with an
outer bank up to 3 ft. high on the S. and W. The original
entrance was at the S.W. corner of the site, where two rectangular platforms suggest former gate towers. Inside the banks,
the ground is featureless.